> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zerotwo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a Task

> Step-by-step guide to setting up a scheduled AI task in ZeroTwo.

Creating a task takes about a minute. You describe what ZeroTwo should do, pick a schedule, optionally attach files or connectors, and save. ZeroTwo handles the rest automatically.

<Info>
  Tasks require a **Pro plan or above**. If the New Task button is not visible, upgrade your plan in **Settings → Account → Subscription**.
</Info>

## Steps to Create a Task

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to the Tasks page">
    Click **Tasks** in the topbar navigation, or go directly to `/tasks`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click New Task">
    Click the **New Task** button or the **+** icon. A task creation panel opens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write a detailed task description">
    The task description is the prompt ZeroTwo uses when it runs. Be specific — include:

    * The action to take ("Search for...", "Summarize...", "Check...", "Generate...")
    * Any relevant scope or constraints ("...from the past 24 hours", "...about AI news only")
    * The desired output format ("write as a bulleted list", "format as a table", "respond in 3 paragraphs")
    * Any data sources to reference ("...from my GitHub repos", "...using my Google Calendar")

    **Well-written task description:**

    ```
    Search for the top 5 AI news stories published in the past 24 hours.
    Write a 2-sentence summary of each story. Format as a numbered list
    with the story title bolded and the source name in parentheses.
    ```

    **Too vague (avoid):**

    ```
    Check AI news
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a schedule">
    Select between:

    * **One-time**: Pick a specific date and time. The task runs once, then moves to Completed.
    * **Recurring**: Choose Daily (pick a time), Weekly (pick day + time), or Custom (cron expression).

    See [One-time vs. Recurring](/tools/tasks/one-time-vs-recurring) for details on each schedule type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach files (optional)">
    Click **Add Files** to attach files from your Files Library. The attached files are available to ZeroTwo each time the task runs — useful for recurring analysis of a document you update regularly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect an app (optional)">
    Click **Add Connector** to give the task access to your connected apps. Examples:

    * Attach **Google Calendar** for tasks that reference your schedule
    * Attach **GitHub** for tasks that read your commits or issues
    * Attach **Gmail** for tasks that summarize recent emails

    Connectors must be set up first in **Settings → Connectors**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the task">
    Review the task description and schedule. Click **Create Task**.

    Your task appears in the Tasks list with a status of **Upcoming** and shows the next scheduled run time.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Example Tasks

| Task description                                                                              | Schedule         | Use case             |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------- |
| "Search for top AI news and write a 5-bullet summary with key takeaways"                      | Daily 8am        | Morning briefing     |
| "Using my GitHub connector, summarize this week's commit activity across all repos"           | Every Friday 5pm | Weekly retrospective |
| "Check my Google Calendar and list today's meetings with 2 prep questions for each"           | Daily 7:30am     | Daily planning       |
| "Research the latest news about \[company] and write a brief competitive intelligence report" | Every Monday 9am | Competitive tracking |

## Writing Effective Task Descriptions

The quality of a task's output is directly proportional to the specificity of its description.

### Specify the output format explicitly

```
Summarize the top AI news stories from the past 24 hours.
Format the output as:
- Story title (bold)
- 2-sentence summary
- Source name

List up to 5 stories.
```

### Reference connectors by name

```
Check my Google Calendar for today's events.
For each event, write one bullet point with:
- Event name and time
- One preparation note or question I should be ready for
```

### Include explicit scope and stopping conditions

```
Search GitHub for issues in my repositories tagged 'bug' that were
opened in the past 7 days. List each issue with: title, repository
name, and date opened. If there are no new issues, say "No new
bug reports this week."
```

### Include example output for format-sensitive tasks

```
Summarize my top unread emails from the past 24 hours. Format each as:

From: [sender name]
Subject: [subject line]
Summary: [1–2 sentence summary]
Action needed: [yes/no and brief reason]
```

## Timezone Settings

Tasks run at the scheduled time in **your account's configured timezone**. If your timezone is set incorrectly, the task will run at the wrong local time.

To verify or update your timezone:

1. Go to **Settings → General**
2. Find **Timezone** and set it to your local timezone

Always check your timezone before scheduling time-sensitive tasks.

## After Creating a Task

Once created, your task appears in `/tasks`:

| Status        | Meaning                                                         |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Upcoming**  | Scheduled and waiting to run                                    |
| **Running**   | Executing now                                                   |
| **Completed** | Ran successfully — find the result in your chat history at `/c` |
| **Paused**    | Exists but won't run until resumed                              |

Task results are delivered as new chats in your chat history. Look for a chat auto-named after your task's first line.

<Tip>
  Test a new task by creating it as a one-time task scheduled for a few minutes from now. Verify the output quality before committing to a recurring schedule.
</Tip>